Peter Robert McEnery (born 21 February 1940) is a retired English stage and film actor.

Early life

McEnery was born in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, to Charles and Ada Mary (née Brinson) McEnery. He was educated at

Ellesmere College (''Striving for one's country'') , established = 1879 , song = ''Jerusalem'' , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding schoolDay School , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

. His younger brothers are actor

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and the photographer David.

Career

McEnery was notably featured in ''

Victim Victim(s) or The Victim may refer to: People * Crime victim * Victim, in psychotherapy, a posited role in the Karpman drama triangle model of transactional analysis Films and television * ''The Victim'' (1916 film), an American silent film by ...

'', a 1961 British neo noir

suspense film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Basil Dearden Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life and career Dearden was born at 5, Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and his wife, Fl ...

in which McEnery plays Barrett, a young working-class gay man who falls prey to blackmailers after he and the title character are photographed in an intimate embrace he film's makers claim the older man was merely comforting the younger one who was in tears; the whole premise of the film was that there was no actual intimacy McEnery was also recognized for having given

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising ...

her first grown-up screen kiss in the 1964 film ''

The Moon-Spinners ''The Moon-Spinners'' is a 1964 American mystery film starring Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach and Peter McEnery in a story about a jewel thief hiding on the island of Crete. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, the film was based upon a 1962 suspense ...

''. In 1966 he took the lead in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

live action adventure film, ''

The Fighting Prince of Donegal ''The Fighting Prince of Donegal'' is a 1966 adventure film starring Peter McEnery and Susan Hampshire, based on the novel ''Red Hugh: Prince of Donegal'' by Robert T. Reilly. It was released by the Buena Vista Distribution Company. Plot Set i ...

''. He played Edwin Clayhanger in the television dramatisation of the novels by

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...

with support from

Janet Suzman Dame Janet Suzman, (born 9 February 1939) is a South African-born British actress who enjoyed a successful early career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, later replaying many Shakespearean roles, among others, on TV. In her first film, ''Nicho ...

Harry Andrews Harry Stewart Fleetwood Andrews, CBE (10 November 1911 – 6 March 1989) was an English actor known for his film portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Regimental Sergeant Major Wilson in '' The Hill'' (1965) alongside Sean ...

and

Clive Swift Clive Walter Swift (9 February 1936 – 1 February 2019) was an English actor and songwriter. A classically trained actor, his stage work included performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he was best known to television viewers for ...

. As an actor for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

he played the title role in Ron Daniel's 1979 production of ''

Pericles, Prince of Tyre ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre'' is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio. It was pu ...

'' at The Other Place and played several roles in the 1982 epic production of ''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' for the same company. In 1981 he played

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fair ...

in the

BBC Television Shakespeare The ''BBC Television Shakespeare'' is a series of British television adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and broadcast by BBC Television. Transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to ...

production of ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

''. Another notable stage role was that of the surgeon Treves in the National Theatre's 1980 production of ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then we ...

''.

Personal life

McEnery married

Julie Peasgood Julie May Peasgood (born 28 May 1956 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is an English actress, television presenter, author and voiceover artist known for her distinctive voice. She is best known for her role as Fran Pearson in the television soap ' ...

in 1978. They met in 1975 when she played a maid called Ada in the ''Clayhanger'' television series in which McEnery starred. They later divorced. Their daughter

Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

, born in 1981, is also an actress.

Filmography

* ''

Beat Girl ''Beat Girl'' is a 1960 British teen exploitation film directed by Edmond T. Gréville. The film was released in the United States under the title ''Wild for Kicks''. The title character of ''Beat Girl'' was played by starlet Gillian Hills, who ...

'' (1960) - Tony * ''

Tunes of Glory ''Tunes of Glory'' is a 1960 British drama film directed by Ronald Neame, based on the 1956 novel and screenplay by James Kennaway. The film is a "dark psychological drama" focusing on events in a wintry Scottish Highland regimental barracks in ...

'' (1960) - 2nd Lieutenant David MacKinnon * ''

'' (1961) - Jack 'Boy' Barrett * ''

'' (1964) - Mark Camford * ''

The Game Is Over ''The Game Is Over'' (original title ''La Curée'', "The Kill") is a 1966 French-Italian French language drama film directed by Roger Vadim and starring Jane Fonda, Michel Piccoli and Peter McEnery. The film is a modern-day adaptation of the 1871 ...

'' (1966) - Maxime Saccard * ''

'' (1966) - "Red" Hugh O'Donnell * ''

I Killed Rasputin ''I Killed Rasputin'' (french: J'ai tué Raspoutine) is a 1967 Italo- Franco biographical film directed by Robert Hossein. Gert Fröbe stars as the main subject, Grigori Rasputin. It is based on the work ''Lost Splendor'' by Felix Yusupov, a nobl ...

'' (1967) -

Felix Yusupov Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston (russian: Князь Фе́ликс Фе́ликсович Юсу́пов, Граф Сумаро́ков-Эльстон, Knyaz' Féliks Féliksovich Yusúpov, Graf Sumarókov-El'ston; – ...

* ''

The Other People ''The Other People'' (also known as ''Sleep is Lovely'' and ''I Love You, I Hate You'') is a 1968 British film. The film appears to have never been released, and is considered a lost film. It was discovered at Paramount in 2017 and will be pres ...

'' (1968) - Peter * '' Negatives'' (1968) - Theo * ''

Better a Widow ''Better a Widow'' ( it, Meglio vedova) is a 1968 Italian comedy film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti. Cast * Virna Lisi: Rosa Minniti * Peter McEnery: Tom Proby * Gabriele Ferzetti: don Calogero Minniti * Jean Servais: Baron Misceni * Land ...

'' (1968) - Tom Proby * ''

The Adventures of Gerard ''The Adventures of Gerard'' is a 1970 British-Italian-Swiss adventure comedy film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski and starring Peter McEnery, Claudia Cardinale, Eli Wallach and Jack Hawkins. It was based on the 1896 collection '' The Exploits of ...

'' (1970) - Col. Etienne Gerard (Hussars of Conflans) * ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' (1970) - Mr Sloane * ''

Atlantic Wall The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...

'' (1970) - Jeff * ''

Tales That Witness Madness ''Tales That Witness Madness'' is a 1973 British anthology horror film produced by Norman Priggen, directed by veteran horror director Freddie Francis, written by actress Jennifer Jayne. The film was one of several in a series of anthology f ...

'' (1973) - Timothy (segment "Penny Farthing") * '' Footprints on the Moon'' (1975) - Henry * '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1978) - Charlie Wilder * ''Lucky Punch'' (1996) - Flaherty

Television

* ''

The Clayhanger Family The ''Clayhanger'' Family is a series of novels by Arnold Bennett, published between 1910 and 1918. Though the series is commonly referred to as a "trilogy", and the first three novels were published in a single volume, as ''The Clayhanger Famil ...

'' (1976) - Edwin Clayhanger * ''

The Aphrodite Inheritance ''The Aphrodite Inheritance'' is a BBC television series broadcast in 1979. The eight-part serial, written by Michael J. Bird, followed his previous successful Mediterranean-set series '' The Lotus Eaters'' and ''Who Pays the Ferryman?''. Where ...

'' (1979, TV Mini-Series, BBC) - David Collier * ''The Hammer House of Horror'' (1980, Episode: "The Mark of Satan") - Edwyn * ''

'' (1981, TV Movie, Oberon, BBC) - Oberon * '' The Mistress'' (1985, BBC) - Luke #2 (1987) * '' The Collectors'' (1986, BBC) - Harry Caines * ''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

'' (1988, ITV) - Donald Phillipson

References

External links

* 1940 births Living people People from Walsall Actors from Staffordshire English male film actors English male television actors Royal Shakespeare Company members {{UK-screen-actor-stub